BULLETIN BOARD

A Newsletter of the Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped

(Winter 2001, Volume 19, Number 3)

"Airline Security & Disability Rights"

The Department of Transportation has issued the following fact sheet to address concerns about airport security for passengers with disabilities. The basic premise is that passengers with disabilities should still expect nondiscriminatory treatment as required by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), but a thorough security screening does not violate the ACAA.

If you encounter a violation at an airport (or at any time from buying your ticket to leaving an airport,) your first request should be to talk with a Complaints Resolution Official (CRO) for the airline--each airline must provide a CRO and they are entitled to act on behalf of the airline in ACAA cases. If the problem is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may file a complaint as explained in the attached document. If you have any questions or need more information on the ACAA, please contact Maureen McCloskey at PVA at 202-416-7696.

U.S. Department of Transportation Fact Sheet: "Steps Taken to Ensure New Security Requirements Preserve and Respect the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities"

The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and the Department of
Transportation's implementing rules prohibit discriminatory
treatment of persons with disabilities in air transportation. Since the terrorist hijackings and tragic events of September 11, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued directives to strengthen security measures at airline checkpoints and passenger screening locations. In securing our national air transportation system, where much of FAA's efforts have been directed to date, steps were also taken to ensure that the new security procedures preserve and respect the civil rights of passengers with disabilities. This Fact Sheet provides information about the accessibility requirements in air travel in light of strengthened security measures by providing a few examples of the types of accommodations and services that must be provided to passengers with disabilities. The examples listed below are not all-inclusive and are simply meant to provide answers to frequently asked questions since September 11 concerning the air travel of people with disabilities.

Air carriers must provide meet and assist service
(e.g., assistance to gate or aircraft) at drop-off points.
The lack of curbside check-in, for certain airlines at some
airports, has not changed the requirement for meet and
assist service at drop-off points.

Individuals assisting passengers with disabilities
are allowed beyond the screener checkpoints. These
individuals may be required to present themselves at the
airlines' check-in desk and receive a "pass" allowing them
to go through the screener checkpoint without a ticket.

Ticketed passengers with their own oxygen for use on
the ground are allowed beyond the screener checkpoints with
their oxygen canisters once the canisters have been
thoroughly inspected. If there is a request for oxygen at
the gate for a qualified passenger with a disability,
commercial oxygen providers are allowed beyond the screener
checkpoints with oxygen canisters once the canisters have
been thoroughly inspected. Commercial oxygen providers
may be required to present themselves at the airlines'
check-in desk and receive a "pass" allowing them to go
through the screener checkpoint without a ticket.

The limit of one carry-on bag and one personal bag
(e.g., purse or briefcase) for each traveler does not apply
to medical supplies and/or assistive devices. Passengers
with disabilities generally may carry medical equipment,
medications, and assistive devices on board the aircraft.

All persons allowed beyond the screener checkpoints
may be searched. This will usually be done through the use
of a hand-held metal detector, whenever possible. Passengers may also be patted down during security screenings, and this is even more likely if the passenger uses a wheelchair and is unable to stand up. Private screenings remain an option for persons in wheelchairs.

Service animals, once inspected to ensure prohibited
items are not concealed, are permitted on board an aircraft. Any backpack or sidepack that is carried on the animal will be manually inspected or put through the X-ray machines. The service animal's halter may also be removed for inspection.

Assistive devices such as walking canes, once
inspected to ensure prohibited items are not concealed, are
permitted on board an aircraft. Assistive devices such as
augmentative communication devices and Braille 'N Speaks
will go through the same sort of security screening process
as used for personal computers.

Syringes are permitted on board an aircraft once it
is determined that the person has a documented medical need
for the syringe.

Personal wheelchairs and battery-powered scooters may
still be used to reach departure gates after they are
inspected to ensure that they do not present a security
risk. Any backpack or sidepack that is carried on the
wheelchair will be manually inspected or put through the X-
ray machines.

Personal wheelchairs will still be allowed to be
stowed on board an aircraft.

Air carriers must ensure that qualified individuals
with a disability, including those with vision or hearing
impairments, have timely access to information, such as new
security measures, the carriers provide to other passengers. For example, on flights to Reagan Washington National Airport, persons are verbally warned to use the restrooms more than a half an hour before arrival since after that point in time passengers are required to remain in their seats. Alternative formats are necessary to ensure that all passengers, especially deaf persons, understand new security measures such as the one at Reagan Washington National.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Members of the public, who feel they have been the subject of discriminatory actions or treatment by air carriers, may file a complaint by sending an email, a letter, or a completed complaint form to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD). ACPD's e-mail address is airconsumer@ost.dot.gov and its mailing address is:
Aviation Consumer Protection Division
U.S. Department of Transportation, Room 4107, C-75
Washington, DC 20590.

Issued on 10/29/01 by the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings and its
Aviation Consumer Protection Division.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

After successful completion of its third summer Product Evaluation Laboratory Student Internship Project, funded by Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, the American Federation of the Blind will soon be recruiting for 2002. Opportunities will be available for two visually impaired high school students to work in the AFB Product Evaluation Lab in New York City, two to work in Chicago with the director of the AFB National Technology Program, and two to work in Atlanta at the AFB National Literacy Center. Candidates are required to have residency in one of the three cities where the programs are scheduled. Applications will be available on March 1, 2002. For more information about the summer internship project, including a video that documents the program, contact Mark Uslan, AFB New York City, (212) 502-7638; e-mail: muslan@afb.net.

RESOURCES

The AFB National Employment Team has developed "Wired to Work: An Analysis of the Reported Crisis in Access Technology Training for People with Visual Impairments." This report, compiled by Karen Wolffe, informs consumers, parents, teachers, employers, and rehabilitation professionals about various aspects of career preparation and employment for people who are blind or visually impaired. "Wired to Work" can be found on the AFB web site at
<http://www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?documentid=1508>

Access Technology Competencies: Through a nationwide survey of public and private rehabilitation agencies, information obtained at professional conferences dedicated to the issue, and data gathered from consumer and professional focus groups, the AFB Access Technology Specialist Competencies Task Force has compiled a comprehensive list of AT specialist competencies. Its next stage will be to make recommendations for train-the-trainer curricula, and to suggest methods to measure the competencies. The next stage will be presented at the 2002 Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute, March 8-10 at the Washington Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC. For further information, contact Gil Johnson, AFB San Francisco, (415)392-4845, gil@afb.net, or Anthony Candela, AFB San Francisco, (415)392-4845, tcandela@afb.net.

The "Rice Lake Chronotype," the "Barron News-Shield," and the "Chetek Alert" are now available on cassette tape for Barron County residents who are unable to read these newspapers, thanks to the Barron County Library Service volunteers who record each paper on Thursday and mail it out at no charge. If you are interested in making a donation to help pay for the equipment & tapes, can volunteer to record one of the papers, are interested in signing up to receive a paper, or know someone else who might enjoy it, contact the Barron County Library Service at bcls@ifls.lib.wi.us or phone 715.234.6637.

To discourage people from petting your guide dog, you may want to obtain a washable stretch sign that fits on the dog's harness. Designed and sold by David & Pat Caldwell, it shows a hand in a red circle with a diagonal "Don't" line embroidered on it. Cost is $ 7.00 + $ 1.50 S&H. Order from Pat Caldwell, 1925 White St., Nanty Glo, PA 15943-1363 patricia@patsarts.com. A picture of the sign appears on Patsarts' website: < http://www.patsarts.com>.

BULLETIN BOARD is published four times a year by the Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped. It is available in large print, Braille, and audio-cassette editions. The Wisconsin Regional Library makes no recommendations or endorsements concerning any products or services which may appear in this publication.